WarHero

"I love the habs!"

Ottawa, ON • Canada • 39 Years Old • Male

Game Day - 17/11/09: Mtl - vs - Car - Let the Battle Begin!

It's 7:22 and my rabbits are going crazy with Hab fever! Welcome back everyone!

Tonight, the Habs will face off against a team who we can actually say is doing worse than the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes have not been able to find the form that took them to the conference finals in last years playoffs. Couple that with an injury to starting goaltender Cam Ward and a floundering back-up and you get nothing but bad news. However, Hurricanes goaltender, Michael Leighton, was able to get shout out in their last game to end their losing streak at 14 games.

The Habs, on the other hand, were shout out and way out shot (Price made 53 saves) by their last opponent, Peca Rinne and the Nashville Predators. Brian Gionta was a last minute scratch and to be honest, that spelled the end of the game for the Habs. Without Gionta, the Habs looked lifeless (except the 2nd line at times) and Scott Gomez was nowhere to be found. Gomez will need to learn to play with other forwards besides Gionta if the Habs hope to have any kind of success without BG.

A regulation win in this game would boost the confidence of either team, and lord knows, they both could use it!

Game Time: 7:30 (Est)
National TV: RDS (French)

Other Games:

WSH - vs- NYR - TSN2
TOR -vs- OTT - SPNO, SPNE

Game Notes:

CAR:

I don't really know much but I would expect Leighton to get the start after his last performance.

MTL:

Price will get the start, Metro moves up the 1st line to play winger, Max Pac goes to the 2nd line with Pleks & Kostitsyn. Gionta is out, Stewart is in.

Here we go .....

1st Period:

20:00 - Start of Game
19:24 - Both teams go end to end, no shots
18:54 - Hurricanes pressing in Habs end
18:47 - Montreal Penalty - Mara - Interference
18:28 - Habs with a 2-1, Pleks can't reach the pass from Moen
17:39 - Habs PK looking great so far
16:47 - Penalty Over - No danger
16:11 - Kostopolous pressing in the Habs end, nice work!
15:40 - Gomez intercepts a Canes pass
14:56 - Habs looking disorganized in the neutral zone
14:19 - Montreal Goal - Max Pac - Plekanec & Bergeron
13:56 - Puck goes over the glass in the Canes end
13:46 - Amazing defensive play by Mara to stop a Canes break-away
13:15 - Habs with a terrible give away in their own end
13:06 - Price makes an amazing save on Cole
12:11 - Both teams with back to back dump ins
11:33 - Icing Montreal
11:06 - Latendresse just misses a perfect pass from Lapierre in front of Canes net
10:44 - Leighton makes a nice save on Pyatt
10:30 - Leighton comes up big on MTLs 4th line again
10:10 - Price gives the puck away
09:50 - Habs rush ends in nothing
09:00 - Both teams going end to end with no shots
08:37 - Pleks showing some skill then drills it on net, Leighton makes the save, holds
07:55 - Latendresse just misses a wrap around
07:38 - Carolina Penalty - Wallin - Hooking
07:07 - Mara shoots, Leighton makes the save
06:36 - Canes blast it to the Habs end
06:15 - Hab PP can't get organized in the Canes end
06:00 - Habs pass gets intercepted, turns into a great Canes chance, great glove save!
05:38 - End of Penalty, 1 decent shot
05:18 - Puck up into the mesh above
04:41 - Hurricanes go offside
04:19 - Puck goes over the glass on a deflection
03:32 - Habs pressing. Canes defenders working hard
03:10 - Habs go offside
02:48 - Hamrlik miss fires on a pass in the Habs end
02:20 - Canes almost find the short side of the Habs net
01:56 - Icing Montreal
01:45 - Max Pac almost wins the race to puck in the Canes end, Leighton stops play
01:30 - Habs with a great chance, Moen gets denied
00:29 - Kostitsyn just misses with a wicker wrist shot
00:00 - End of Period - Score: 1 - 0 Montreal

I'll give that oen to the Habs, but only because they got on the board. Both teams had great chances but the Habs were able to cash on one from Max Pac, his 2nd of the season. Price is looking confident and the Habs seem to have some jump. Let's see if they can keep it going in the 2nd ...

2nd Period:

20:00 - Start of Period
Store run break!
17:09 - Habs all over the Canes right now
16:32 - Carolina Goal - Sutter - Whitney & ?????
16:18 - Habs make a nice play to keep it in the offensive end
15:57 - Habs/Canes get matching minors, 4on4
15:05 - Habs with a couple chances, nothing gives
14:25 - Habs with 3 more great chances, no luck
13:57 - Matching Minors over
13:52 - Carolina Goal - Jokinen - Cullen - Score 2-1 Carolina (Terrible give away by Spacek)
13:02 - Habs with a terrbile pass in offensive end
12:47 - Spacek with a great shot, Leighton makes the save with a big stretch
12:45 - Canes make a goalie switch, Leighton must have hurt himself on that stretch
11:42 - Kostitsyn almost gets a break away then gets another chance, save by Legace
10:35 - Canes Penalty - Ward - Boarding (Drity hit on Moen)
09:53 - Mara with a big shot, Legace makes the save
08:58 - Habs can't get anything going on the PP
08:35 - End of Penalty - Habs get nothing
08:11 - Canes pressing, Price stops the play
06:56 - Canes pressing hard
06:33 - Mac Pac almost gets a break away
05:43 - Bergeron with a terrible pass in his own end
05:13 - Carolin Penalty - Yelle - Goalie Interference
04:59 - Bergeron gets stoned by Legace
04:21 - Habs passing very well, Cammy stopped by Legace
04:12 - Gomez with a weak shot, Legace covers the rebound
03:32 - Puck goes into the mesh, Canes defending very well
03:23 - Lapierre chance gets taken away by Canes defender
02:48 - Habs with a sweet centering pass but it gets missed again
02:01 - Sutter just misses his second goal of the night
01:46 - Cammy stoned by Legace
00:43 - Legace makes a glove save on Moen
00:00 - End of Period - Score 2 - 1 Canes

I'll give that period to the Habs as well because they owned the Canes for most of it. A huge mistake by Spacek cost the Habs the goal giving the Canes the lead. Let's hope the Habs still have some gas in the for the 3rd, they are going to need it!

I may not be here for most of the 3rd period, but I will be back to do a write-up at the end of the game. The wife and not feeling well and needs some tending to! Gotta do my Husband thing!

End of Game: Score 3-2 Montreal (Shoot Out) - Wife is feeling better

Wow!! What a finish! I am so happy for Andrei finally getting one. He played a great game and really deserved it! What a beauty by Lapierre in the shoot out and what more can you say about Carey Price? Were those glove and toe saves unbelievable or what?!?!

Next game is Friday against the Washington Capitals! See you then!

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